This article explains the first step of the media workflow for Canon Colorado printers: configuring media in CalderaRIP by downloading, installing, and managing media profiles. 

Media Configuration in EasyMedia

From the EasyMedia module, after selecting your Canon Colorado you will see an interface with action buttons to create, duplicate, delete, or edit media profiles (1), and a list of available supports and their categories (2).

Create or Duplicate Media Profiles

You can only create new media when the printer is online and reachable on the network.

If you click Dup... to duplicate a media profile, the same configuration windows will appear. You can then either: 

• Keep all settings the same and only rename the profile, or 
• Modify the duplicated profile settings as needed.

Main Settings tab

• Name: Name of your media used in the Print module.
• Cost per m²: Enter the cost of your media (per square meter). If you ignore it, click the Compute… button.
• Compute…: In the window that appears, first enter the roll width and selects its unit (m, cm, mm, inches, or feet), then enter the roll length and select the corresponding unit, and finally enter the cost.

Parameters tab

• Horizontal compensation (%): We recommend not modifying this value. Any deviation is likely to be caused by printer mechanics.
• Vertical compensation (%): Useful if you notice a change in media length caused by heating or media tension, which can happen with vinyl or textiles, for example. Click Compute and follow the software instructions.

Canon Colorado M Series

• Category: Media family used as a template when creating a new media type, for example "textile" or "thin paper". This field is automatically filled according to the category selected in the media list available on the printer.
• Controller Version: In some cases, lets you select the firmware or controller version of your printer.
• Automatic Advanced Correction (feed adjustment): Choose between Off, Normal, Enhanced, or Structured Media. When enabled, a yellow ink marker is printed to help correct media step inaccuracies.
• Tight winding: Starts printing on the media before it is taped to the output winder. Available options are No tension bar, Locked tension bar, or Tension bar.

• Winding strategy (R4.4.2 and above): Lets you define a value between 0 (looser) and 5 (tighter) for each media preset.

    Info

  In roll-to-roll printing, the winding strategy determines how the printer controls the tension and winding of the media as it is being printed. This can affect the print quality, media handling, and overall printer performance. Please consult Canon's documentation for more information.

• Automatic media advance (automatic media jogging): Protects media from marks caused by engine pinches.
• Support cutter: Cuts media per sheet at the end of the print process. It may be useful to disable it for heavy media such as banners.
• Requires manual loading: Enables or disables automatic loading.
• Moist protection (sensitivity): Select a value between 0 and 5 to define how long the printer waits before retracting the media into the drawer to protect it from humidity. Selecting 0 disables the function.
• Outer core diameter (mm): Default value is 79 mm. You can enter a value between 76 and 200 mm for a more accurate remaining media length estimate.
• Media thickness (µm): Must be set between 50 and 800 µm. The printer uses this value if media thickness is not measured during calibration. If the printer measures the thickness during calibration, this value is overridden.
• Advanced media step calibration: Applies an advanced media feed calibration for self-adhesive vinyl to improve step accuracy and help maintain consistent print quality.
• Suitable for side edge detection: Enables width and skew detection.
• Print gap: Choose Medium or High for the distance between the printhead and the media.
• Use white markers: Lets you choose between standard markers and white markers. Automatic crop marks use CMYK or White.

Canon Colorado XL Series

• Category: Media family used as a template when creating a new media type. This field is automatically filled according to the media category provided by the printer and may not be editable.
• Suitable for automatic print gap optimization: Allows the printer to automatically optimize the print gap for this media type.
• Suitable for edge detection: Enables media edge detection during loading or printing.
• Ionizer bar: Enables the ionizer bar to reduce static electricity on the media.
• Manual loading: Enables or disables manual loading for this media type.
• Moist sensitive: Identifies media that is sensitive to humidity so the printer can apply appropriate protection or handling.
• Outer core diameter (µm): Enter the outer core diameter to improve the accuracy of the remaining media length estimate.
• Print gap: Choose Medium or High for the distance between the printhead and the media.
• Vacuum curing boost: Increases vacuum during curing to help keep the media stable.
• Vacuum flattening: Adjusts the vacuum level used to keep the media flat. Available options are Low, Medium, or High.
• Vacuum traction boost: Increases vacuum traction to improve media transport.
• Web tension: Adjusts media tension during transport. Available options are Low, Medium, or High.
• Media shape type: Defines the media format. Available options are Roll or Rigid.
• Media thickness (µm): Enter the media thickness. The printer can use this value for media handling and print adjustments.
• Media weight: Enter the media weight to help the printer optimize media handling.

Vacuum Power tab

Available on M Series.

• Vacuum Power (5 zones): Type a number between 0 and 100 to adjust vacuum power.

Comments tab

Available on XL Series.

On this tab you can see comments coming from the EasyMedia module. It can include comments from the global media window and from the profile project window.

Installing a Downloaded Media Profile

Profiles for your Canon Colorado can be migrated from another model, downloaded directly through the Canon graphiPLAZA community, or requested from our technical support team.

1. From EasyMedia, click on your Canon Colorado printer.
2. Now click on the Import... button. A small window will appear; click on Install Patch.
3. A pop-up will appear, in which you will have the opportunity to locate the corresponding media profile. Click on Load:
   
4. Another pop-up will ask you to confirm which profiles you want to add. You can view only those profiles that will work on your printer or all those included in the profile patch. You can also select and install only some of them, or install the whole list. Click on the corresponding option:
   
5. A final message will appear to let you know that the installation has been successful. Click OK.

Delete Media

For deleting media, you have two options:

1. To delete one or a couple of media types, you can just click on the Delete button of EasyMedia. This will automatically remove the media from the printer too (Operator Panel, Media, Media type).
2. To delete all media types, click on Printer Media... (see next chapter). Another window will appear with 4 buttons at the lower part: click on Delete all Printer Media.

Synchronization with the Printer

Media is normally synchronized automatically in the background between EasyMedia and the Colorado controller. If needed, you can also use the media list configured directly on the printer.

1. From EasyMedia, click Printer Media…. A window will open showing the media list configured on your printer, which should match the media list in your RIP:
   
2. Now, you can use one of the four functions available:
   • Delete: Allows you to delete the selected media/calibrations individually.
   • Delete all Printer media.
   • Export all Media from RIP to Printer: This can be used if you connect a new printer to CalderaRIP and want to use the same profiles.
   • Import all Media from the Printer to RIP: This can be used if you connect to CalderaRIP a printer with existing media.